Workman&#39;s safety apron



June 29, 1965 c, w. ROBERTSON WORKMAN'S SAFETY APRON Filed A ril 2'7, 1962 INVENTOR. CLARENCE W. ROBERTSON 3,191,186 WORKMANS SAFETY APRGN Clarence W. Robertson, -1553 Harrison, Memphis, Tenn. Filed Apr. 27, 1962, Ser. No. 190,570 3 Claims. ((11. 2-51) comes entangled in machines and the workmen pulled into the machines and injured. In the majority of these accidents, the company is financially responsible for accident losses, and the company suffers because of the lost time of the workmen. Subsequently, in their efforts to promote safety and to prevent such accidents as are brought about by loose apparel being caught in machinery, many companies have forbidden employees to wear aprons.

As a consequence of restricting use of aprons, workmens clothes become prematurely soiled, thereby re- 'quiring more care in order to keep them neat and clean. The no apron regulation also indirectly causes more wear to the clothes of the workman, shortens their use- .fulness, and results in more frequent purchases of work clothes than is otherwise necessary when an apron is used toprotecttheclothes.

In order to overcome the above mentioned inconveniences as are caused by working without an apron, the principal object of this invention is, therefore, to provide a yieldably fastened apron that may be safely worn to protectthe clothes of the workman.

A further object of the presentinvention is to provide an apron that has no strings to catch in moving machinery.

A further. object is to provide an apron that is quickly freed from the workman in the event the apron becomes entangled in the machinery, thus reducing the likelihood of injury to the workman.

A further object is to provide an apron that is cooler and less hampering to the workman.

A further object is to provide an apron that is adapted to be easily and compactly folded for shipment or storage, or when not in'use.

A further object is to provide an apron that is simply made and-when constructed of inexpensive material may be disposed of after use.

The means by which'the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished and the manner of their accomplishment will be readily understood from the following specification upon reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of the apron as worn'by the workman.

FIG. 2 is an inward or backside view of the apron having a pair of yieldable tab fasteners withthe left tab upward tozillustrate the ailixing seam, and with the right tab folded over and in a position as when in use.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the tab portion of the apron taken as on the line IIIIII of FIG. 2; and, in addition, is shown a fragmentary sectional portion of the pants and shirt of the workman to illustrate the relationship of the tab portion therewith.

FIG. 4 is an inward or backside view of the apron having yieldable clip fasteners.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the clip fastener as viewed from the inward or backside of the apron and also showing a fragment of the apron body.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken as on the line VI-VI of FIG. 5 and shown attached to a belt.

United States Patent 0 'ice Referring now to the drawings in which the various parts are indicated by numerals, the apron '11 of the present invention includes a body portion or body 13 which is preferably, though not necessarily, formed of a single elongated piece of flexible material. Apron '11 is contructed of fabric, synthetic plastic sheet, paper, or any like material having the necessary characteristics suitable to the particular environment of the work being done or to the needs of the workman.

Apron body 13 includes an upper portion 15, a lower portion 17, and an apron waist 19 intermediate theupper and lower portions. The edge of upper portion 15, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4, defines substantially a parabolic arc, with the symmetrical side edges beginning at the top and extending downward and outward to join the rectangular lower portion 17 at waist 19. As mentioned previously, the body 13 of the apron may be formed of a single piece of material, though a closer fitting apron results when the upper portion 15 and'the lower portion 17 are of separately formed pieces sewn together at waist 19. As is apparent, the upper portion 15 partially covers and protects shirt 21 of the workman, and the lower portion 17 partially covers and protects pants 23 with the lower portion transversely extending from one side of the workmans body to the other. The perimetric edge of body 13 is preferably folded inwardly and sewn to form a continuous hem 25. Hemming of the edge of body 13 is particularly desirable if the apron is constructed of thin fabric or plastic sheetmaterial.

A button hole 27 is provided in upper portion 15 to engage a button 2? of shirt 21. Button hole 27 should be as close to the top edge of the apron as is practicable, thereby to provide a close-fitting upper portion 15. A pair of laterally spaced fastening tabs 31, 33 are transversely attached adjacent the upper edges thereof on the inward side of body 13 at waist '19. Tabs 31, 33 are preferably substantially rectangular in shape and are preferably of the same material as apron body '13. In attaching tabs 31, 33 they are preferably positioned in the manner shown by the tab 31 in FIG. 2, and the tab is attached by sewing along the seam 35. From this sewing position above mentioned in which the main body of tab 31 is extended upwardly or above seam 35 with the free edge 36 being upwardly, the tab is folded downward into its normal downward position, as shown by the tab 33 in FIG. 2. Tab 33 is preferably attached in a similar manner as above described for tab 31. For purposes of clarity, the flap portions of fastening tabs 31, 33, that is, the portions which are not directly attached to body portion 13, are respectively designated as flap portions 37, 39.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 and to the above described apron 11, the apron is put on or attached to the clothes of the workman by first tucking the flap portions 37, 39 interposed-1y between shirt 21 and pants 23, as best shown in FIG. 3. The upper portion 15 is then brought up and button hole 27 engaged on button 29.

In the above form of the invention the apron 11 is described as having yieldable tab fasteners 31, 33, and the following continuation of the specification describes an alternate suitable form of the invention designated in general as apron 41 which has similar characteristics to the above form, but has yieldable clip fasteners 43 instead of tab fasteners 31, 33 to attach the apron 41 to the clothes of the workman. In all other respects the aprons 11 and 41 are substantially the same.

Yieldable clip fasteners 43 are preferably formed of ductile metal wire of copper, aluminum or the like, and should be of such material and wire size as to be strong enough to attachably hold the apron in a working position and yet attached yieldably enough to permit the inner 'side of the belt.

apron to be quickly freed from the workman should it become caught in the machine. 1

Each of clip fasteners 43 is formed by making approximately two rectangular turns in a piece of wire, which turns include the larger outer turn 45 and the smaller, inner turn 47. As is shown in FIG. 6, the two turns 45,

47 are substantially parallel to each other and joined in spaced relationship by a relatively short connecting portion 49 thereby forming the space 51 between the planes of the turns 45, 47 and forming the downwardly facing open end 53 of the clip fastener which leads to the space 51. The clip fasteners 43 are substantially laterally r a 4 clarity or understanding, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes and modifications may bemade therein which are within the full intended scope of this invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

'1. A workmans apron adaptedto be worn as a coveringover front parts of the shirt and pants of a workman comprising an elongated body having upper and .lower portions and inward and outward sides, said upper porthan being of solid fabric except the provision of a button hole adapted to engage a button on 'the front of the workrnans shirt, and a substantially rectangular tab transversely 'afiixed to said body on said inward side inin FIG. 4, is desirable to facilitate close and neat fitting].

5 and 6, eachof the clip fasteners 43' isaflixed to apron body 11 with the open end 53 downward and the connecting portion 49 upward, and is preferably aflhred by consecutive loops of thread 55 drawn tightly around outer turn 45 and through portions of apron body 11 to secure the outer turn 45 in abutment with the inward surface of body portion 13. v

Putting on the apron 41 and attaching it to the clothes of theworkman is done in a manner similar to that previously describedin attaching apron 11. In attaching 1 apron 41, the clip fasteners 43 are hooked over belt 57,

as shown in FIG. 6, with the outer turn 45 engaging'the outside of the belt-and the inner turn 47 engaging the the apron is in place on the workman so that no part of the fastening means is exposed. This is an important :feature of the present invention since. it makes the apron completely safe, as opposed to other types of aprons having attachment strings and other attaching'means that can be caught in machinery. Thus, only the smooth-outside surface of body portion 13 is exposed, and there is little derstood that the'fastening means, i.e. flap portions 37,

.39 or clip fasteners 43, will easily become detached from the workmans clothes 'so that there is absolutely no danger, of the workman being drawn into the machine.

7 The upper portion is then, brought up and fastened by engaging button hole 27 over 7 button29. p V I From the foregoing it'will be understood that inbothf embodiments shown, i.e. aprons -11 and"41,' the'fastening means is completely covered by body' portion 13 when I of the apron to the workman. As is best seen in FIGS.

termediate said upper and lowerportions, said tab being adapted to be interposedly tucked between the workmans shirt and pants,and saidapron including said tab being made substantially entirely of a sheet-like easily flexible and unstiff material. 2 V

2. A workmans apron adapted to'be worn'as a covering over front-parts of the shirt and pants of a workman comprising'an elongated body of thin flexible and unsupported sheet-like material having upper. and lower portions and inward and outward sides,'and a substantially rectangular tab of thin easily flexible and uns-titf sheet-like material transversely amxed to said body on said inward side intermediate said upper and lower, portions, said tab being adapted to 1 be interposedly tucked between the 1 Workmans shirt and pants, the apron when subjected to means extending across a major portion of the width of It will further be understood that the length and width of ,l

aprons 11,.41 can be varied to fit the various physiques of the workmen without departingfrom the spiriband scope of the present invention.

safety pin through the button hole 27 to secure the upper portion 15 in place. 1

Also; it willbe understood that in some cases where the workman is not Wear- Although the invention has been described in some de-' tail way of illustration and example for purposes of 'aforceful pulling action being adapted to readily become disengaged from the clothes of the workman. '3. Aworkmanis' apron adapted to be worn as a covering over front parts of the'shirt and pants of the work man comprising an elongated body having upper and lower portions 'and inward and outward sides, tab means afiixed directlytosaid body' on said inward side intermediate said upperand lower portions for interposedly tucking between the workmans shirt and pants and for subsequent easy withdrawal therefrom by an accidental pull on said apron body by a machine and the like to prevent'the Workman from being drawn therein; said tab said bo'dy and said tab means comprising a thin, unstiff and easily flexible fabric material.

. References Citedbythe Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 361,537" .4/87 Morrison 2-52 380,576 4/88 Ives 2-51 7' 415,837 11/89 Frisbee 2-51 1,092,685 ,4/14 Wootten 2-51 1,134,643 4/15 Sinclair 2-51 2,471,331 -5/49 Lee 2-48 2,649,58'7- 8/53 Swearingen 2-52 10/61 Masure 2-52 X FOREIGN ATE TS 12,858 1905 Great Britain. JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

THOMAS .J. HICKEY, DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, r r V I Examiners. 

1. A WORKMAN''S APRON ADAPTED TO BE WORN AS A COVERING OVER FRONT PARTS OF THE SHIRT AND PANTS OF A WORKMAN COMPRISING AN ELONGATED BODY HAVING UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS AND INWARD AND OUTWARD SIDES, SAID UPPER PORTION BEING OF SOLID FABRIC EXCEPT THE PROVISION OF A BUTTON HOLE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A BUTTON ON THE FRONT OF THE WORKMAN''S SHIRT, AND A SUBSTANTIALLY RECTANGULAR TAB TRANSVERSELY AFFIXED TO SAID BODY ON SAID INWARD SIDE INTERMEDIATE SAID UPPER AND LOWER PORTIONS, SAID TAB BEING ADAPTED TO BE INTERPOSEDLY TUCKED BETWEEN THE WORKMAN''S SHIRT AND PANTS, AND SAID APRON INCLUDING SAID TAB BEING MADE SUBSTANTIALLY ENTIRELY OF A SHEET-LIKE EASILY FLEXIBLE AND UNSTIFF MATERIAL. 